Monday, November 7, 2011

Keeping on Track

So far, so good on my little stairclimbing challenge for the month! I'm running a teensy bit behind (I am at 13,760 stairs, when I should be at 14,400 stairs). Not too far off, considering I was out of the office for much of one day last week and I only did half my runs.

I can only think of one time when I took the elevator back up to the office last week, when I was returning from that seminar, wearing uncomfortable shoes and deciding "screw it, I'm taking the lift." (In my imagination, I'm British, haha.) I can't think of any times that I took the elevator down.

I feel great! My calves powered through their soreness last week, and I have fully-functioning legs again. This morning, for my first run after the weekend, I was tired and winded. It is becoming more and more clear to me that this whole physical fitness thing is a lifetime commitment. Yes, duh, you athletes already know that. It takes people like me longer to figure out. ;) My stairclimbing buddy and I were talking last week about how quickly you revert back to square one when you get out of the habit. My legs always feel stronger, but you get winded so much more easily if you stop doing it for awhile. I'm trying to embed this into my memory so when I feel like quitting, I'll hopefully find a way to push through it and keep going!

Anyway. My little guy is home from his dad's, and we're resuming our normal custody schedule and incorporating the gluten-free/casein-free diet. I am committed to it without really being committed to it, if you know what I mean. Honestly, I don't see a change in his behavior, and he was already a very healthy little sprout. I've read some online that calls into question the results of these "food allergy" tests (e.g. he doesn't have physical symptoms like puffiness, breathing restriction, etc.) My older two also have said they don't notice any change in his behavior. We will play along, though, because it forces me to be more thoughtful about what we eat, and I think it forces a healthier diet for all of us. No more woosing out with grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, haha, a quick and easy staple in our house. Honestly, the main reason I'm doing it is to force a low-carb diet and see how that effects my daughter, since she is a fellow carbaholic like her mama. Well, the other reason is that it is important to my ex, and I need his buy-in and support as much as possible as we try to figure out how to help the little feller succeed in school, which is going to be a tremendous challenge, even with all the great support we have received from the school administrators. But our ADHD psychiatrist and pediatrician cautioned us that the diet would not have much, if any, effect on his behavior. I think he did really, really well with his dad this last month because he always does really, really well in one on one situations. I'm glad we split custody for last month, because I think it's a rare treat for a third child to get to enjoy a stint as an only child. :)

It raises questions, though, about birth order and what's best for the kids, etc. In my heart, I think that Reid would be best served by that sort of arrangement. He needs lots of one one one time, and truly, over this last month, he's grown and benefited from the extra time with his dad. When he is alone with me, it's the same way - he's just a high-needs kid who does really great when he gets the attention he needs and deserves. The reality of being one of three kids in a single family home is just that - it's not like being an only child. My ex has said he's willing to continue the arrangement, but I don't like it. He is part of a family, he is my son, he is not one of one, he is one of three. Instead, I'm going to continue to make more of an effort to give everyone the time they need. What a tough situation!

Anyway - this blog isn't about Reid's eating, it's about *my* eating! You can see over the course of this blog how the emphasis in my life is gradually drifting away from WLS and post-VSG eating. Life returns to normal! I am eating too much on the weekends. I can't eat "regular" portion sizes, but I do notice that I am eating too often and uhhhh, too many Sour Patch Kids. I meant to bring those damn things to work today to fatten up my coworkers. I'm trying to compensate with extra exercise: Saturday my friend and I went campaign-leafletting for my friend who is running for council. (Ugh, you're welcome if I dropped one on your doorstep - campaign flyers drive me insane when delivered to my home, but this shows what I'll do for a wonderful friend, haha.) It was a gorgeous day and we covered a large area. This morning I missed my bus (welcome back to the routine, Reid! I guess mama didn't plan our morning very well, haha.) and walked a few extra stops down the road while I was waiting for the next one.

I am happy this morning. My coworkers and I targeted a specific piece of art that was on exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, and we asked to have it rotated to our office when the exhibit was over. (This was an exhibit of City of Seattle owned art, and some of it is utter rubbish - which we had - and some of it is really fantastic by actual talented artists. Anyway, I love this piece, although you can imagine it is creating quite a stir in our office this morning. Haters. :) ) My coworker really lobbied for us to get it, and at least three of us will absolutely adore it on our wall. It is massive, too.

Locusts and Bird. Gaylen C. Hansen

No comments:

Post a Comment